Thursday, February 28, 2013

Earlier in the campaign, Hayon had introduced Salgado to small semi-private gatherings of Republicans without Hayon’s indicating his personal endorsement or seeking the gathered Republicans’ support for Mr. Salgado in any way

Buried in a post in the Politicker about Demoratic Mayoral candidate Erick Salgado were quoted remarks by Brooklyn GOP activist Joseph Hayon (See “CHURCH & STATE – A Mayoral Campaign Fueled by the Religious, Conservative Wing of the NYC Democratic Party” by Colin Campbell and Hunter Walker, 2/27/13, Observer.com/Politicker [http://politicker.com/2013/02/erick-salgados-odd-coalition/]).

In the past Mr. Hayon, who has twice run as a candidate for the assembly on the Republican line; and who has been active in support of several other successful Republican candidates, has simultaneously supported socially conservative Democrats against Republicans that Hayon considered unworthy of Orthodox Jewish support.

When reached for clarification of his position of support of Mr. Salgado vis a vis any of the Republican candidates presently running for mayor, Joseph Hayon said that as of now the only candidate that he'd committed to help was Erick Salgado. Hayon put it this way, “Not one Republican candidate for mayor has reached out to the Orthodox community about the city’s attempt to regulate the religious practice of circumcision (he noted that even some of the more liberal Democratic candidates for mayor had done so). And the same can be said about several other items of special moral and social concern to orthodox voters.”

What follows is that portion of the Politicker report on Erick Salgado concerning Hayon’s reasons for supporting him:

“Joseph Hayon, an Orthodox Jewish activist and early supporter of Mr. Salgado’s, was particularly emphatic about the Christian candidate’s interfaith appeal. He cited Mr. Salgado’s stance on Mayor Bloomberg’s restrictions against a controversial circumcision process and a host of other policy issues as portions of [Salgado’s] platform that appeal to religious Jewish voters.

“Erick Salgado will do everything he can to make sure that the circumcision regulation will be repealed,” Mr. Hayon told us. “He said he would repeal it. He’s going to be 100 percent on the issues that we care about. Most issues that Orthodox Jews care about will not affect Gentiles. Circumcision does not affect Gentiles. [The Women, Infants and Children program] having kosher grape juice, that’s not going to affect Gentiles. Yes, marriage is going to be something that affects them, that’s probably the only thing. And abortion [and] vouchers.”Erick Salgado will do everything he can to make sure that the circumcision regulation will be repealed,” Mr. Hayon told us. “He said he would repeal it. He’s going to be 100 percent on the issues that we care about. Most issues that Orthodox Jews care about will not affect Gentiles. Circumcision does not affect Gentiles. [The Women, Infants and Children program] having kosher grape juice, that’s not going to affect Gentiles. Yes, marriage is going to be something that affects them, that’s probably the only thing. And abortion [and] vouchers.”

If a Republican candidate were to express the same positions as Salgado, Hayon indicated that he might support both candidates during the pre-primary phase of the campaign.

In a hate filled show sponsored by Craig Eaton’s Kings County Republican Party — that contained personal attacks on a certain Staten Island Conservative and a Republican City Councilman, along with various Staten Island Republican “electeds” and Conservative Party members generally * — it was the complete insensitivity to the Hikind-generated race flap that was the real low point of this and probably any other show in the entire series of Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio programs

I’m not a Democrat; I’m not black; I don’t see myself as a victim of racism; I’m generally not moved by the politics of victimhood; and I don’t want to pile on to Assemblyman Dov Hikind in any way for his choice of a Purim costume this year or his initial response to criticisms and complaints about it. Nonetheless, what I heard last night on the Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio program certainly was, if not racist at its core, so racially insensitive that it made me cringe at least a half a dozen times. Both the words used and at least once the audible laughter about he whole circumstance and situation of Assemblyman Hikind’s embarrassing appearance and completely inappropriate response indicated that both Berardelli and Gallo are completely lacking in insight as to their own impulses on the critical psycho-social issues raised by the whole “Dov Hikind in ‘Blackface’” brouhaha.

It is absolutely insane that in 2013 the Brooklyn GOP lets two hosts like these continue to be the public face of the Kings County Republican Party on this officially-sponsored outlet of the party and its current chairman. If nothing else, it shows at least one reason why the Brooklyn Republicans are only able to garner the support of about 3-5% of the African-American and Island-Black electorate in Brooklyn.

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* I will be discussing these items and various other topics that were on the Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio program for 2/27/13 in another post or in “Backfill” comment(s) to this post at another time.

Craig Eaton’s version of the Brooklyn GOP — Most recently with its support of non-Republican liberal Adolfo Carrion; with it’s out of date Official Brooklyn GOP webpage; with its insipid officially sponsored blog-talk radio program; with it’s spotty “Brooklyn GOP Radio -Official- Show Blog”; with it’s Astro-turf “...Brooklyn Young Republicans, the ONLY organization for Young Republicans officially sanctioned by the Brooklyn GOP....”; with it’s second out of date website, called the “Brooklyn Young Republicans – Brooklyn - COUNTY YR’s [sic]”; and with its history of having actively supported hate blogs and the failed attempts at “Regime Change” in the 49th AD — That version of the Brooklyn GOP has run out ideas and run out of time — that version of the Brooklyn GOP needs to be put out of its misery.

Marty Golden is the only one who can do it, but he needs to do it now, openly, and not behind the scenes --- if he expects to be “forgiven” by 2014

Does the Staten Island Republican intra-party turmoil reflect a similar conflict in Brooklyn ? Since the word of Staten Island GOP Chairman Bob Scamardella's saying that he was stepping down reached across the Narrows, Republicans all over Brooklyn wondered what, if anything, it would mean for the Brooklyn GOP

The Staten Island Advance is now reporting that “Scamardella said he had been ‘shut out’ of the BOE selection process, which he said placed him ‘in a position where [he] cannot do the job effectively’.” (See “Staten Island GOP Chair Scamardella Resigns” by Dean Balsamini, 2-27/13, SI Advance/silive.com blog [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/staten_island_gop_chair_scamar_1.html]).
How is that any different than the position in which the Kings County Republican Party Chairman Craig Eaton finds himself ?

Don’t think that I’m the only one that sees it that way. In yesterday’s Daily News, the Queens County GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa was quoted like this: “We all are kind of disappointed at what happened -- what Jimmy [Oddo] did to us and what he did to Craig [Eaton] and what he did to Bob [Scamardella].” (“Staten Island GOP Chair Robert Scamardella Departing... But What Does It Mean?” by Celeste Katz,2/26/13 [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/02/staten-island-gop-chair-robert-scamardella-departing-but-what-does-it-mean] ). The News and Ragusa don’t even mention the most significant part of the story as far as Eaton is concerned, Brooklyn’s only elected GOP official, State Senator Martin Golden was there with Oddo and the others to help pull the rug on Eaton and Eaton’s pick for BOE Commissioner.

It’s been widely reported on Staten Island that a significant rift had arisen between Bob Scamardella and several of Staten Island's elected Republicans, especially Councilman Jim Oddo, over picking the GOP candidate to run for Oddo’s City Council seat (See for example: “Staten Island GOP Chair Scamardella Resigns” by Dean Balsamini mentioned above; and “In stunning announcement, Scamardella resigns as Staten Island GOP chair amid party fight” by Tom Wrobleski, 2/26/13, silive.com [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/in_stunning_announcement_scama.html]).
A similar rift seemed to have developed in Brooklyn over the contested nomination for the 43rd Counc. Dist. in Brooklyn: with County Leader Eaton and Brooklyn members of Congressman Michael Grimm’s staff encouraging Andrew Sullivan to stick with his quest for the nomination, on one side; and with State Senator Golden, and his staff and GOP supporters pushing for John Quaglione, on the other.

In spite of those apparent similarities, the Brooklyn GOP organization is very different than the one from Staten Island. Chairman Scamardella was selected after the rise of Michael Grimm in 2010; thus becoming the Staten Island GOP's sixth chair since 2002. Staten Island's Republican Party has different factions supporting and supported by different elected officials.

Staten Island’s GOP has long been a multilateral organization whereas Brooklyn’s GOP largely has reflected the unilateral hegemony of a single state senator.

Eaton was selected as a consensus candidate after the prior county chair retired in 2007; the last heavily contested fight for the Kings County Republican Leadership was in 1993; and that rift now only means something in a few Southwest Brooklyn ADs. Although in the main there haven't been many factions lined up behind different candidates in Brooklyn GOP primaries, whatever groups there are inside of the Brooklyn GOP also have not fought for control of the party, with the exception of an aborted proxy battle at the 2009 County Convention.

Until recently, Eaton had always been supportive of the interests and initiatives of the lone Republican elected completely within the borders of Brooklyn, State Senator Martin Golden; and Golden has reciprocated. Any current problems inside the Brooklyn GOP organization seem to have arisen since the pre-election period in 2012; and since there is only one, by definition any intramural spat among members of the Brooklyn GOP don’t involve conflicts between elected officials.

Just when flacks like Gene Berardelli, Russell Gallo and Ray Riley thought it was safe to go back into the water...

— A heavy two-note theme starts on the base line of the score, picking up tempo, joined by heavy beating on the timpani and clashing dissonance from the higher registered instruments, then even some counterpoint in a minor key by some horns...

— The visual, a Republican frantically treading water, the swish of a submerging pointed fin followed by a quick-disappearing wake, then an exploding geyser around the flash of razor-rows of teeth and a gaping maw, and lastly a slick of blood suddenly calming the roiled water, just like oil settling the wind-chopped surface

Yes, that’s Gatemouth snacking on GOPites, as he scours the political seas for the unfit, the unworthy or simply the unsuspectingly stupid. Enough about how he treats his friends, when it comes to the likes of Berardelli, Gallo and Riley it’s more like [ well, you get the idea – we want to keep this PG-17].

On a lighter note, where else are independent Republicans going to get a report of the Purim hijinx going on at Joseph Hayon’s house ( See “A Purim Schpiel [revised]” by Gatemouth, 2/25/13 “Room Gate” [http://roomgate.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-purim-schpiel.html]).

The Gateman seems clear that this is probably a temporary arrangement until his old digs at “Room 8 ” have been refurbished. Here’s the most relevant part of Gate’s sign-on posting:

“So, I’ve set up this bare-bones site to fill the gap in the meantime. I might even spiff it up and keep it, but that’s another issue for another day, Meanwhile you can find me at Room Gate.”
( http://roomgate.blogspot.com/ ).

Monday, February 25, 2013

Capano is the first prominent Brooklyn Republican Activist* to formally announce his unequivocal support for Catsimatidis' run for NYC Mayor --- With his strong personal endorsement of John Catsimatidis, Capano rises to the level of the two other Brooklyn GOP activists who have made endorsements, Craig Eaton, who endorsed Adolfo Carrion, and Martin Golden, who did the same for John Lhota

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Bob Capano, a former President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, in 2008 ran for the Assembly in the 46th AD, and in 2009 was the Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party candidate for the 43rd City Council seat in Brooklyn. Until the beginning of 2013, Capano was District Director for Republican Congressman Bob Turner.

Today Bob Capano announced that he had endorsed John Catsimatidis for Mayor. Catsimatidis is one of the few candidates that stands out in the crowded Republican field; and he probably has the best chance to succeed Michael R. Bloomberg in getting to City Hall on the Republican line.

Capano stated, “John Catsimatidis is the Republican candidate that has the vision, background, and experience to reach out to New Yorkers and win the general election. His experience creating jobs and commitment to keeping New York City safe, as demonstrated by his stated desire to keep NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly part of his administration, is exactly what we need in our next Mayor. This city cannot afford to go back to the days when New Yorkers in too many communities feared walking in their own neighborhoods.”

Capano, who was one of the first Brooklyn Republicans to support and aid then candidate Michael Grimm in his 2010 primary added, “As an immigrant from Greece who grew up in Harlem and created his vast success in business from scratch that created thousands of jobs, John Catsimatidis has the unique background and experience to reach out to all New Yorkers. His desire to simply give back to the city that he loves and independence from special interests is a message that will resonate across our boroughs.”

At the same time the NYS Conservative Party Chairman eyes the mayor’s race, the Chairman of the Kings County Conservative Party is in the middle of plans to dump Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton

The Mike Long part of the piece is easy to see because it’s open and above board. The day after several potential GOP mayoral candidates spoke at a Brooklyn Conservative Dinner honoring Mike Long, a report appeared in the Crain’s Insider saying, “New York State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long has not lined up his organization with a mayoral contender, but he has no intention of leaving its ballot line blank in this year's election.” (“Conservative Party eyes mayor's race – Mike Long, the party's state chairman, is considering John Catsimatidis, Joseph Lhota and George McDonald for the Conservative ballot line” by Andrew J. Hawkins, 2/22/13, Crain’s Insider [http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130222/BLOGS04/130229946]). In the Crain’s report Long is quoted as saying, “We will definitely have a candidate for mayor and that's still under discussion.” According to Crain’s, Mr. Long said he expected to pick a candidate before September's primary vote, but didn't have a deadline for a decision (maybe somebody needs to remaind Mike about petitioning and Wilson-Pakula deadlines).

All of the potential GOP candidates for mayor and their relative chances of getting Mike Long’s nod are specifically dealt with in the Crain’s article by Andrew J. Hawkins, but a far clearer picture emerges if you read the Hawkins’ piece together with Colin Campbell’s article of the same date, “BORROWING PHRASES – Joe Lhota Channels Jimmy McMillan in Front of Brooklyn Conservatives” in the Oberver’s Politicker column ([http://politicker.com/2013/02/joe-lhota-channels-jimmy-mcmillan-in-front-of-brooklyn-conservatives/], previously mentioned in a comment to the post below, “Local boy makes good in front of “hometown crowd” at the Dyker Golf Club during the Brooklyn South Conservative Club’s President’s Day Dinner” 2/22/13 ).

According to Hawkins and Crain’s, and most others in the know, about the only thing that can be said with certainty is that Mike Long’s Conservative-endorsed candidate for mayor will not be one of the Democratic Party’s nominees.

The Jerry Kassar part is not nearly so obvious. However, with a few slashing Bobby Fischer-like moves, Kassar has virtually disemboweled Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton inside Eaton’s king-side castle with Eaton stuck in the corner waiting for an almost certain checkmate by Kassar’s key piece on the board, State Senator Golden. The possibilities for the soon to be next Brooklyn GOP Chairman were being discussed openly and frankly at a table full of Senator Golden-oriented Brooklyn Republicans at the Conservative fete last Thursday.

Whether it’s GOP election commissioners, mayoral candidates, council candidates or GOP State Committee members, the strongest picks are overwhelmingly those backed and backing the Kassar-Golden faction inside the Brooklyn GOP and not Eaton’s.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

SHIELDED FROM THE FREEZING RAIN BY UMBRELLAS, PONCHOS AND ASSORTED NRA AND WAR-VETERAN BASEBALL CAPS, A HEARTY CROWD OF GUN RIGHTS SUPPORTERS, COPS AND REPORTERS GATHERED ALONG NEW DORP LANE NOT FAR FROM MICHAEL GRIMM’S DISTRICT OFFICE AT AROUND NOON ON SATURDAY

According to an early report in the Staten Island Advance, “Taking aim at politicians from Staten Island to Washington D.C., the Richmond County Tea Party Patriots voiced their support for the Second Amendment and against gun control during a rally in New Dorp on Saturday. *** Bobby Zahn, president and founder [of the Staten Island ‘Patriots’ ] takes issue with local politicians over support of gun control, led nearly 100 supporters in voicing their dissatisfaction at a rally on New Dorp Lane near the office of Rep. Michael Grimm on the National Day of Resistance with hundreds of rallies expected to be held nationwide.” ( “Staten Island 'Patriots' takes issue with local politicians over support of gun control” by Maura Grunlund, 2/23/13, Staten Island Advance /silive.com [http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/anti-gun_control_group_takes_a.html])

The report is accurate if “... nearly 100 supporters” means a number like 125, which was my personal count at around 1:00 PM [ 100+ in the crowd at the stage, while at the same time 10-15 older guys stood across the street under awnings and the bank portico trying to stay out of the driving rain and 3 or 4 drivers in cars went back and forth on New Dorp Lane sounding their horns]. The actual number might even have been slightly higher because the calculation above does not reflect late arrivals and early departures.

Acting as MC of the event was Scott Fertitta, Richmond County Tea Party Patriot vice president, who spoke and introduced the program of about half a dozen speakers. Several of them called for the immediate repeal of the recently enacted New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013 (NY SAFE ACT), which one of the speakers indicated probably made the guns carried by the uniformed police officers at the edge of the crowd unlawful, if they were loaded to full capacity. At various times, Zahn, Fertitta and the other speakers fired away at State Sen. Andrew Lanza and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) and other local politicians who had supported that act. Michael Grimm’s announced support for various gun and high-capacity magazine bans also was criticized by several of the speakers.

There were several groups of people in attendance who were not from Staten Island. Brooklyn Tea Party President Frank Russo and a small contingent of the Brooklyn Tea Party introduced themselves to their Staten Island counterparts. As part of all that, there was a specific discussion about and a recognition of those living in the Brooklyn part of the Grimm congressional district for the purpose of future activities.

Former Brooklyn Republican County Vice Chairman Arnaldo Ferraro Decries Current State of Party's Leadership --- Brooklyn GOP Called Most Divided Ever Under Current Leadership

The Ineffectual Divide

Brooklyn, N.Y.

February 22, 2013

The recent endorsement of Joe Lhota by New York State Senator Marty Golden, the only Republican elected official in Brooklyn, is another indication on how divided and consequently ineffective the GOP Party is in Kings County.

This is a painful admission, especially when it comes from me, a strong and loyal supporter of the Republican Party. In fact, after I was elected Assemblyman upon defeating an incumbent Democratic Assemblyman in the majority (an unprecedented political event in Brooklyn), I am still the last Republican Assemblyman [elected entirely within] the largest County in New York State, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The scenario of the race for mayor of New York City gives us a picture of a fragmented Republican Party throughout the five boroughs: two Republican County Chairmen, Manhattan and Queens, have endorsed one candidate, two others, Brooklyn and Bronx, are leaning towards endorsing a non-Republican candidate, and finally, Staten Island, has indicated interest in endorsing a third candidate.

The mayoral race in Brooklyn is even more fragmented than the one described above: it has been rumored that Kings County Conservative Chairman (who also serves as Chief of staff for Senator Marty Golden) is inclined to favor John Catsimatidis while his boss (Marty Golden) has officially endorsed Joe Lhota. To make things even more confusing, the Chairman of the Kings County Republican Party has promoted the endorsement of Adolfo Carrion, an independent candidate. This is certainly the picture of the most divided Republican Party I have ever seen. Republicans deserve better than this!

It is not by accident that the motto of the U.S. of America is “E Pluribus Unum” (One Out of Many), which is followed by our own motto “United We Stand.” Both mottos are the most compelling reasons for rejecting the divisiveness among the five Republican Chairmen and Republican elected officials of New York City. They must accept the necessary conclusion that a unified effort is for the best interest of the Republican Party, and not their own personal interests.

I cannot help to suspect that such a lack of unity is a strategically orchestrated posture for all of them to be represented and be in good graces with the primary election winner from among the candidates they have selected. They also have eliminated two other Republican candidates from consideration of their planned endorsements: Tom Allon and George McDonald. Such an omission shows their lack of knowledge and history of prior mayoral elections events. Remember, John Lindsey was elected Mayor on an independent and Liberal ticket after losing the Republican primary!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Hard Hat Andrew Sullivan shined like a star among a crowd of speakers that included several mayoral candidates, a nationally prominent honoree and even "local hero," Mike Long

Liam McCabe trotted out almost as many speakers at the Brooklyn South Conservative Club’s inaugural fund raising event as the Westminster Kennel Club runs out dogs and owners. McCabe's guests included the honorees, New York State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long and Long Island Congressional Chairman Peter King (R-C), several of the GOP mayoral hopefuls, local elected officials, speakers from the Brooklyn Conservative Party and both of the candidates now vying for the Republican and Conservative Party lines to run against Democrat City Councilman Vincent Gentile. In a lineup like that it would be easy to lose an outsider running for the City Council in the shuffle and the kerfuffle. That didn’t happen to Bay Ridge’s most unconventional candidate Andrew Sullivan.

If anybody thought that the hard-headed hardhat could be stifled by burying him at the bottom of the pile, with warnings to keep his remarks short and to the point, they would have been disabused of that notion when Sullivan’s speech was interrupted by applause the first time. Speaking at the end of the program caused Andy to be even more folksy and down-home Bay Ridge than usual and it worked right from the start.

He began with anecdotal material about being a new kid in town, who had to take on all comers at OLA and soon worked that into his career as a NYC building tradesman working on big jobs from Yankee Stadium down to the Battery. He worked that into his being a 9/11 survivor and then a long-term responder to and on “The Pile” — he finished the biographical part of his presentation by describing his personal quest against the “Ground Zero Victory Mosque” which was a virtual “done deal.” Starting with his “Hard Hat Pledge” and finishing with the hold-up and then the end of that project, Andy Sullivan had showed the cheering crowd of Conservative party members and guests that one man could fight City Hall, and with the help of others — WIN .

He then turned to his present candidacy for the City Council and described a Bay Ridge that he remembered well, which had once been “a jewel of New York City neighborhoods,” but now was looking like a jewel that was losing its luster. He said that the typical Bay Ridge “man in the street” no longer feels that anybody in government or public office is looking out for them or “has their back.” In particular, as a former small Bay Ridge businessman himself, Andy Sullivan said that nobody had taken the individual small business owner to heart; and that he would make “Taking Care of Business” into one of the hallmarks of his tenure as Councilman.

The measure of the success of Andy Sullivan’s evening with the Conservatives at the Dyker Golf Club was not just that his speech received such obvious crowd-pleasing favor, being interrupted by applause multiple times, it was that several local news reporters rushed up to him with individual questions even though the room was full of political luminaries and candidates for higher office.

The other Republican candidate for the Council, John Quaglione also spoke, however his speech was a mere polite thank you to all the others in attendance, which garnered an appropriately measured polite response.

Judged by last night alone, Andy Sullivan was a big winner; and he showed that he was ready for prime time exposure.

Abe George is viewed by many as a new age liberal and to others as an old style libertarian, and to still others as part of the routine mix of Democrats running for Brooklyn DA; nonetheless Abe had hoped to drop in on the Bay Ridge Conservatives at play at the Dyker Golf Club last night just to show he's a good sport.

The word is that Democrat Charles Hynes has the Wilson-Pakula for the Conservative line locked up again for 2013, because he's tight with fellow Bay Ridgeite and Breezy Point neighbor Mike Long (even though ML says that closeness to Vito Lopez is a big No-No, that only seems to apply to people like Domenic Recchia). That's not news since Hynes has had the Conservative and the Republican lines since the year Gimmel. In spite of all that, one of the people close to the Abe George campaign is also friends with Brooklyn Conservative party activist Liam McCabe, who promised that Abe would be more than welcome at his recently renamed Brooklyn South Conservative Club's function last night.

Things changed very quickly and a bunch of Orthodox Rabbis wanted some face time with Mr. George, the most "outsider" of the Brooklyn DA candidates and his equally "outsider" inside guy --- so that jumbled the evening's plans and made the drop-in to the McCabe's Conservative Party affair at the golf course virtually impossible because of other commitments.

Mr. George still tipped his hat in Bay Ridge though, speaking to about fifty Bay Ridge Democrats at their gathering to hear speakers on gun control in the backroom of the Bridgeview Diner. Even though Abe George was well received, the big news was what was going on elsewhere in the room when Abe George was making his presentation. His opponent Kenneth Thompson, who was also scheduled to speak to the Bay Ridge Dems made a beeline to Abe George's guy at the back of the room --- he gave him the "I've heard so much about you.... we need to talk...." routine.

Abe George's "outsider" inside-man was surprised and Abe George was surprised> --- Why is it I am the only one not surprised ? Didn't that moment at the back of the room have to come sooner or later in this campaign ? Ken Thompson's quickstep at the Bridgeview only showed that it would be sooner.

The Thompson and George campaigns will soon have about a million dollars --- spending that kind of cash in a M.A.D. (Mutually assured destruction) primary campaign doesn't make sense except to the incumbent who will be running to get the same voters he's had all along to vote for him again --- for years that's included openly running with the Republicans' and Conservatives' endorsements.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Both Mike Long and Jerry Kassar feel the need for speed in throwing some brickbats at Brooklyn Democrat Domenic Recchia, who only recently threw his hat in the ring against Michael Grimm

Jerry Kassar, chairman of the Brooklyn Conservative Party, said Recchia would be a pushover for Grimm. According to a report in a local newspaper, Jerry Kassar said, “I say bring him on! ... Voters will have to choose between a strong incumbent and a challenger who doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life, and has shown absolutely no evidence of competence in national issues.... It’s, to me, very odd that he decided to run.... Apparently he just needs a job.”
( “Domenic Recchia Aims to Challenge Michael Grimm for Gongress – Grimm news for Democrats?” by Will Bredderman, 2/21/13, Courier Life’s Brooklyn Daily [http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2013/8/br_recchiacongress_2013_02_22_bk.html]).

Another Bay Ridgeite State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long added his pinch of spice to the Conservative’s stew, saying that Recchia was tainted by his close ties to scandal-scarred Assemblyman and former Democratic Party boss Vito Lopez. According to Mike Long, “[Recchia] was a strong supporter of the organization, and Vito Lopez was the organization in Brooklyn.... “I don’t think that helps him, but that’s for the voters to decide.”

People shouldn’t forget that Long and Kassar were early supporters of Grimm in 2010; and that Conservative Liam McCabe helped Grimm win his GOP primary against Michael Allegretti. At that time, Grimm beat Allegretti in Brooklyn, even though Allegretti had the overwhelming support of the Brooklyn Republican Organization led by County Leader Craig Eaton and State Senator Martin Golden.

Also, don’t forget that I had already said that the Bay Ridge Cabal of Republicans (and Conservatives) have a greater reason to fear a Recchia candidacy for congress in 2014. The local Bay Ridge Democrats are on the verge of running the Republicans-Conservatives coalition out of Dodge; and with Domenic Recchia in the slot for Congress, the Democrats will seal the deal (See my 2/17/13 post below, “If Domenic Recchia enters the 2014 race for Congress in the 11th CD, what’s left of the Brooklyn GOP Bay Ridge Cabal will have a new theme song — ‘Candle in the Wind’ ”). Long’s and Kassar’s quick-on-the-draw early potshots at Recchia are just another little bit of confirmation of my theory and that the Conservatives know what’s coming their way in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst if Reshhia is on the ticket.

Nocera thinks the time is right to make a positive response to the Brooklyn GOP’s overtures to become re-associated with Brooklyn’s traditional and independent Young Republican Club and for the two groups of Brooklyn Young Republicans to work together

At an earlier meeting of his own Brooklyn Young Republican Club, President Glenn Nocera had reported that sometime before Russell Gallo, president of the “rival” Brooklyn Young Republicans, had made contact for the purpose of exploring ways to bring the two “Young Republican” clubs together for the overall benefit of the Republican Party in Brooklyn. At that time, Nocera indicated that he had given a generally positive response to Gallo. As recently as this past Sunday’s Brooklyn Young Republican Club meeting at Ceol in Downtown Brooklyn, BYRC President Nocera made a sort of report about relations with the other Brooklyn young Republicans when he had told some of those gathered that he’d gotten no responses to his voice mails to Gallo and that he suspected that the Brooklyn YRs’ president was no longer interested in any joint activities.

Overnight, Glenn Nocera listened to Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio’s 2/20/13 show and heard everything that Russell Gallo and Gene Beradelli had to say about bringing the two Brooklyn Young Republican organizations into some kind of unity; and earlier tonight, Glenn Nocera had a lengthy interview with a representative of this blog. Here's what Glenn thinks about what he had heard from Gallo and Berardelli.

Mr. Nocera indicated that he was gratified by a lot of what Russell Gallo had to say about him personally. He was very thankful that at long last he was getting an acknowledgment from the Brooklyn YRs and Brooklyn GOP Radio for the work he had put-in alongside Gallo and the rest in campaigns for Bob Turner, David Storobin, Michael Grimm and Marty Golden. He noted that he was involved in a fund raiser for Turner in 2010 called the “Weiner Roast” and that a substantial donation had been made to the Turner Campaign.

Glenn Nocera went on to say that he wished to take the proposals advanced by Gallo and Berardelli as an olive branch (Nocera’s words not ours) to his Brooklyn Young Republican Club. Nocera said that the actions taken Wednesday night by two “Official” Brooklyn GOP operations, The Brooklyn YRs and Brooklyn GOP Radio, would be taken seriously; especially in light of the fact that Brooklyn Republican Leader Eaton seemed to be behind the effort. Glenn said he would treat it all as an offer for some degree of fraternity and mutuality between the two clubs some time in near the future, unless he learns that it is not. Nocera said he had no problem trusting Russell Gallo and Gene Berardelli, and by implication Craig Eaton, but that he would follow the lead of one of his heroes, Ronald Reagan — “... to trust, but also to verify.”

With that, Nocera did sound a note of caution, saying that several things he’d heard in the recorded blogcast by Gallo and Berardelli needed clarification before he would publicly comment any further. He also indicated that he wanted to get back to the Brooklyn Young Republican Club’s Officers and Board of Directors about these developments and get a sense of where the longtime members of his club stood on any or all of it.

Nocera then told this blog that as President and on behalf of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club he had posted congratulatory social media messages on the pages of the Brooklyn YRs’ newly selected President Diana Sepulveda and newly selected Vice President Frank Morale. He said it was his hope and expectation that the current Brooklyn Young Republican Club and Brooklyn YRs would be able to work together on lots of things going forward.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

".... We can talk about politics and government all day, but elections -- and the way they're run and by whom -- are the bedrock of the entire process...."

— Celeste Katz, 2/19/13, NY Daily News/ Daily Politics

The folks at the Daily News are still trying to unravel what's going on at the NYC Board of Elections; and it seems like they are pulling the knot apart one strand at a time (See “NYC Board Of Elections: Inquests & Invoices” by Celeste Katz, 2/19/13, NYDailyNews.com / Blogs [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/node/135910]).

All that can be said with certainty, is that the Republican City Councilmen have already replaced Brooklyn Republican Commissioner Nancy Mottola-Schacter with lawyer Simon Shimoun. It's also known that Mr. Shimoun is a Bay Ridge (L)lawyer who is close to Marty Golden, as well as the current Republican District Leader in the 46th AD.

There is only one pending case to stop the actions of the Republican Council Members in replacing the GOP Commissioners without consultation by the GOP County Leaders – it was brought on behalf of the Queens Republican Leader Phil Ragusa and the ousted Queens GOP Commissioner Judith Stupp.

Oddly, the Brooklyn Republicans did not bring any legal proceedings to force the GOP Councilmen, none of whom were from Brooklyn, to reconsider or restore Nancy Mottola-Schacter. Odd because Kings County Republican Chairman Eaton was reported on his blog to have vehemently denied any part in the replacement of Ms. Mattola-Schacter with Simon Shimoun; such that he even claimed that the way it was done was a humiliation and like being stabbed in the back. Of course, that only happened after Eaton had attempted to thank NM-S for her years of service and she recoiled somewhat from what she considered a premature expression of gratitude for years of service prematurely ended.

I await patiently for somebody to say it ain't so ! ? # @ < ....

If this was a surprise attack on Brooklyn's exalted leader, I wonder who specifically played the role of Brutus to Eaton's Caesar; or for you O'Reilly fans, Booth to Lincoln or Oswald to Kennedy. State Senator Martin Golden was reported to have openly lobbied for Shimoun’s appointment; and interestingly Mr. Shimoun was the MC at Golden’s 2013 Swearing-in Ceremony which was conducted at the Kingsborough CC, very near Mattola-Schacter’s home turf. It remains to be seen, if in fact there was any such an unkind cut thrust upon the Brooklyn GOP County Leader; and who might have made such an ugly mark upon the boss would remain a speculation as well..

The SI Advance is looking into the Staten Island part of the BOE commissioners' story; and the Daily News is doing its bit as to the Queens part of the whole mess, including the interesting riddle of the three, count ’em three, Phil Ragusas — but so far nobody in is asking the important questions journalistically about what’s behind the dropping of one Brooklyn GOP Commissioner and the selection of another.

Personally, I think it might be directly connected to the paltry 2012 GOP petition for State Senator Martin Golden, and the relative dearth of good signatures collected by signatory witnesses who also had temporary positions as GOP appointed Elections Inspectors and Coordinators; but that’s pretty much just a guess. Requiring such a thing as a quid pro quo is a crime. The possibility of such illegality had been raised and then dropped as part of a “settlement” of Brooklyn GOP Election Case in 2011 involving a district leader’s race and a hard to locate BOE employee that later mysteriously became “unsettled,” but without the possible criminal aspect being revived against the higher-up alleged to have been involved in all of it.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Glenn Nocera opened a very well-attended meeting of The Brooklyn Young Republican Club with a heartfelt presentation of the club's traditional and storied background to an overcrowded room that was half-filled by candidates, visitors and newcomers. He also told everybody that the organization was the happily self-declared “independent” Brooklyn Republican Club since Brooklyn seems to have two

Glenn Nocera’s Young Republican Club made a point of returning the “Home & Home” hospitality to some members of the Brooklyn Tea Party, while entertaining a large crowd of others at yesterday’s club meeting at the downtown Irish pub, Ceol. Tea Party President Frank Russo did his first public appearance at the BYRC and joined a roster of speakers along with GOP Mayoral Candidate Tom Allon and the prospective Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights Republican nominee for City Council, Andy Sullivan.

At one point or another about fifty people squeezed into the mid-afternoon meeting of The Brooklyn Young Republican Club at The Ceol Irish Pub on Smith Street not far from the Bergen Street stop on the “F” line. Although the largest part of the crowd were existing members of the Brooklyn YR Club, some others obviously came along with the candidates, Tom Allon and Andy Sullivan; still others came as part of the Tea Party contingent tagging along to hear Frank Russo announce his recent election as President of the Brooklyn Tea Party; and there were even a handful of newcomers who were there to see what these Brooklyn Young Republicans and Republican candidates were all about.

Andy Sullivan spoke first because he had another appearance elsewhere. The only announced candidate against Democrat incumbent Vinny Gentile gave his history to the Young Republicans as the man who initiated “The Hard Hat Pledge” and described how he has been prominent on several media outlets. Sullivan emphasized how Republican candidates and the Republican brand had lost their voice and ability to connect with middle-class working Americans. He then spoke out about members of building trades and craft unions who needed a good economy to find work; and how the GOP needed to get passed the union leaders who all had made their deals with th DNC. Based upon the questions and positive feedback from the crowd, he was very well received.

Next up was Frank Russo, who said he was responding to the invitation of Brooklyn Young Republican Club President Glenn Nocera and that he was glad to be given the opportunity to introduce himself to that group of Brooklyn’s Young Republicans. He said that with him at the helm, there would be a more active program of events conducted by the Tea Party, probably starting in April. One of the things he mentioned was that he and a committee including Joe Hayon were in the process of a fundamental reorganization of The Brooklyn Tea Party, including the adoption of a new constitution and by-laws with clearly stated principals, goals and rules. He thought that establishing a formal structure for the Tea Party should be his first order of business, because up until one week before the Brooklyn Tea Party had been run very informally. He then complimented the YRs for what they had done over such a long time. Later on, he was very active in discussing certain Tea Party concerns with mayoral candidate Tom Allon. As a result of that friendly confrontation, Allon publicly stated that he would be glad to address the Brooklyn Tea Party some time in March or April to re-address the same things with the Tea Party membership.

The formal program culminated with the appearance of mayoral candidate Tom Allon, who made a very professional presentation, including having his staff spread around some very impressive looking literature [some of the most glitzy expensive stuff I’ve seen yet]. Allon was peppered by many questions. And, even though he acknowledged being a recently converted Republican with mostly liberal-leaning social beliefs that he said were more Libertarian than liberal, Allon’s explanation of his lower taxes and fiscally conservative program met with some obvious favor by the largely conservative Republican crowd.

No, I don’t mean as in “Superman” ! No, I don’t mean as in a new “Andrew Carnegie”! I am comparing the "Official" Brooklyn Young Republican’s Mr. G to Ioseb Besarionis dze Dzhugashvili, or as he is more widely known, by his adopted name “Josef Stalin” – “The Man of Steel”

Many would say this is a stretch. Even I could easily be forced to admit that it probably is at least a little hyperbolic. However, this week on Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio it was pretty clear that Russell blames all the Americans who elected President Obama for our current political and economic mess; and he wishes bad things to happen to them. Even his sidekick Gene R. Berardelli had to demur. More important Gallo implied that things would only get worse if we continued with the lawful elective process that is now in place in the United States. Everybody has long known that, except for small personal matters, Gallo is a lockstep militarist and authoritarian.

Also this week, Gallo announced new “elections” for his personally administered “Official” Brooklyn Young Republicans. With that, he added another Stalinist tool to his bag of tricks, the attempted elimination of former friends and allies from the historical record and from public memory — this was raised to its artistic and now popular definition, “memory hole,” by George Orwell in his novel, “1984". In this instance it appears that Gallo, in his position as the Brooklyn YRs’ President, chose to summarily dispatch his former colleague in many matters for the Brooklyn GOP, Jacob Kornbluh, from the Brooklyn YRs website.

Kornbluh [a/k/a “The Jacob Kornbluh”] had long appeared on Gallo’s YRs’ site as the YRs’ “Treasurer.” “Treasurer: Jacob Kornbluh” had appeared in the “About Us” window under the categorical title, “Meet the Board of Directors”. Now, the Treasurer slot appears thus: “Treasurer: VACANT”.

Gallo seems to have a real problem with ykw... and like Stalin elimination is one of the favored solutions.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

The political battles of 2013 and 2014 are likely to permanently change the center of GOP gravity in Brooklyn away from Bay Ridge. This trend will both be amplified and solidified if Democrat Dominic Recchia is able to complete a solid run for Congress in 2014 in the district that includes Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and a good part of Bensonhurst

It’s beginning to look like Brooklyn Democrat City Councilman Dominic Recchia is about to get very serious about running for the U.S. Congress from the trans-Narrows district now represented by Congressman Michael Grimm (See “Exclusive: Brooklyn Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia says he will run for Congress” by Tom Wrobleski, 2/16/13, SI Advance/silive.com ”[http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/brooklyn_democratic_city_counc.html#incart_river]).

The Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst branch of the Brooklyn GOP will have a very difficult year in 2013. It will most likely be an organizational shambles after its 2013 post-redistricting (re)organizing process; and in addition, the entire 43rd City Council District election process, beginning to end, will cause the local GOP to have a hangover into 2014, much like what happened in 2009-2010. As a result, the Brooklyn GOP will be a weaker partner for Congressman Grimm's efforts than any time since he first tried for his seat in 2010. However, all of that will have more meaning for and about Brooklyn Republicans than it will for Congressman Grimm, and more consequences too. After all, Congressman Grimm can still win it all in Staten Island, especially against a Brooklynite like Mr. Recchia.

Nobody has yet projected that this move by a lone non-Bay Ridge Democrat can be a “game changer” in every aspect of Brooklyn GOP politics, especially in its longtime power base, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights; nonetheless, that’s exactly what it will be if Mr. Recchia does throw his Democratic hat into the ring and he winds up as the ultimate Democratic Congressional nominee in 2014 in the Brooklyn-Staten Island District. Even though Republican Congressman Michael Grimm might survive a challenge by Recchia; with Recchia in the general election race for congress in 2014, no part, aspect or member of the Brooklyn GOP establishment based in Bay Ridge and Dyker will survive with the same power and significance that he/she/it has at this time.

If they're lucky, afterwards they'll be remembered fondly like Marilyn or Diana.

Does this mean that Mr. Carrion is really on a roll? Maybe, with what might be an opening to get a GOP Wilson-Pakula and an Independence Party line looking like it might be all but locked up...

It was reported that Eaton; who is still a formal open supporter of Carrion, although until several days ago a wavering one; said he had told Guy Molinari to meet with Carrion a while back, and that Molinari came away impressed with the former Bronx Democrat, who served in the Obama Administration. According to Eaton, "[Guy Molinari] was always supportive of Adolfo until Joe Lhota threw his hat in the ring."

It turns out that Molinari's views on Carrion might even have been better than that. Supposedly Guy Molinari said to Craig Eaton that Eaton “...would go down in history...” for his strong push for the GOP to back Adolfo Carrion. One had to assume that Guy was pulling Eaton’s leg, at least a little bit. Of course, Guy’s remark might also have contained a proviso that went something like this — “... if and when the Hispanic vote largely comes over to the GOP to vote because Carrion is the GOP candidate for mayor...” With the natural implication that if anything else happened, Eaton certainly would go down in history for the sheer foolhardiness of his trying to get the rest of the City’s GOP to endorse a life-long liberal Democrat and member of the Obama Administration to be the Republican nominee for mayor in 2013.

It also looks like, the old Guy remembered his seemingly ironic remarks to Eaton, or maybe he didn’t. In any case he looks like he’s in it for Carrion. According to a pied quote on the Post blog, Molinari supposed said, “I’m backing Carrion. I’d like to see Adolfo Carrion become the candidate of the Republican Party.... Carrioi [sic] is a fine man. I welcome the opportunity to have a Latino head the Republican ticket in New York City....” (“Staten Island GOPer Molinari dumps support for Lhota, backs Carrion for mayoral nomination” by Carl Campanile, 2-12-13, NY Post [http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/staten_island_nomination_molinari_9TEe4M15vwgPD8b9oIvffO]

Other than a bizarrely conceived sort of “Affirmative Action” for an Hispanic candidate on the Republican Line, can Molinari or Eaton come up with another reason that Adolfo Carrion might be the right fit as the GOP candidate for mayor ? Possibly other GOP leaders are asking the same question. In spite of Guy Molinari’s switch from Lhota to Carrion, the Staten Island County Chairman Robert Scamardella has said he was probably sticking with Lhota as he’d earlier indicated (See “Candidate Lhota loses Moilinari, keeps Scamardella” by Azi Paybarah and Dana Rubenstein, 2/12/13, This is How New York Works – Capital [http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2013/02/7713061/candidate-lhota-loses-molinari-keeps-scamardella]; “GOP chairman: Molinari flip 'doesn't change anything' ” by Chris Bragg, 2/16/13 Crain’s New York Business – Blogs > The Insider [http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130212/BLOGS04/302129994]).

Perhaps even more important to the Adolfo Carrion campaign for mayor, was the recent appearance of an ad placed by Independence Party leaders indicating their support for Carrion’s obtaining the Independence Party line ( See “Independence Party challenger makes mayoral race a three-way affair – Former Bronx Borough President Alfoldo Carrion Jr. is touted as a likely candidate for the party following full-page ad spotted in free metro daily Wednesday...” by Jonathan Lamire, 2/13/13, NY Daily News [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/carrion-tapped-indepence-mayoral-challenge-article-1.1263681#ixzz2L8ghzvqe]).

It seems that the Brooklyn Conservative Leader has a view of conservatism that is so jaded, myopic and astigmatic, it leaves him incapable of even describing "... Today's Conservatives" --- or what they do or stand for

Kassar’s column this week clearly demonstrates to any objective and truly “conservative” observer a lot of what is wrong with what’s left of a big chunk of “The Conservative Movement,” in Brooklyn, in New York City and the rest of New York State.

"... Today's Conservatives" can't possibly only be about a handful of political insiders, and the various event(s) where they will be. --- Or can it ?

According to Jerry Kassar, “Many contemporary conservative leaders consider Reagan their inspiration.” So far, I think I can agree with Mr. K — except that I would say it thus, “Many people who fancy themselves as contemporary conservative leaders consider Reagan their inspiration.” However, that line by Kassar is about as close as I’d get to agreeing with him about anything significant in his column this week — possibly excluding his announcements of the details of events, which one hopes for everybody going to or running those events are for the most part accurately presented.

Kassar’s column went downhill from the early quote mentioned above, very fast and very far. This bit just makes me want to puke: “And that is what makes Reagan different. The power of his words, the success of his actions and the goodness of his character transcend time. It is why Reaganism became a movement that in turn became a major part of his legacy, a legacy that conservatives fall comfortably back upon when confronted with today’s often-ignorant criticisms of what the right is all about.” Is that paragraph a quote from some hagiography by the spiritualist spouse of the deceased former president, the probable once upon a time card-carrying communist actress Nancy Davis, whose love story with Ronny goes back to his Janus-like union involvement in the days of the Hollywood Red Scares ? No, that quote isn’t from Nancy Reagan (at least it’s not so attributed by its nominal author); it is by Jerry Kassar, and it follows right after the line of his that I quoted above (See “Jerry Kassar's Common Sense: Today's Conservatives,” 2/12/13, Home Reporter-News Blog [http://www.homereporternews.com/opinion/jerry-kassar-s-common-sense-today-s-conservatives/article_f78f87c6-7549-11e2-bc77-001a4bcf887a.html]). So, it’s right there for the world to see, Kassar kicks-off his piece about “...Today’s Conservatives” with a paean to “Reaganism” — a cult of personality, just like Stalinism; and yes, Obamaism. Just as mythical, just as mindless — just as amoral.
(Btw, is there any Eisenhowerism, Nixonism, Fordism, or Bushism ?)

Both as Governor of California and President of the United States, Ronald Reagan presided over massive growths in government, government revenue and government debt. To be sure, in many ways President Reagan was a success, especially in intra-party Republican politics; and more important, geo-politically as America’s ultimate Cold Warrior and as a key leader of a world-wide anti-Communist alliance. His record as a proto-anti-terrorist warrior is not nearly so stellar; and domestically, he was more a partner to- than an antagonist of- Tip O’Neill and, yes, even Ted Kennedy. On domestic and government matters, Newt Gingrich and the Gingrich “Contract With America” were far greater symbols of militant and oppositional conservatism than anything done by Ronald Reagan or in his name. Most of what today’s right is really all about is not much like Reagan, Reagan’s crowd or Reaganism at all — Thank God ! However, as far as Jerry Kassar is concerned, Ronald Wilson Reagan was the most accomplished conservative-style political insider of his lifetime; and Reagan and Reaganism are the avatars of the twelve-year Reagan-Bush regime. In any case, the Reagan part was only about a quarter or a third of Kassar’s column

Sadly, in Jerry Kassar’s column about “...Today’s Conservatives” there is not one word about what “...Today’s Conservatives” believe in; how “...Today’s Conservatives” see themselves; or what “...Today’s Conservatives” actually do — so as to have an effect on the polity, government and/or the politics of their communities, cities, states and/or the nation as a whole.

So, do take a look at Kassar’s column in whatever format of the Home Reporter - Brooklyn Spectator, etc., etc. etc., you might happen upon in your travels and travails — just to see what “...Today’s Conservatives” are not all about .

A loosey -goosey sort of partial disclosure: I’ve been pushed, pulled, cajoled and promised by a friend who is close to one of Democratic candidates running for District Attorney in Kings County to do a puff piece on my friend’s candidate; or if I wouldn't/couldn’t do that, to do some kind of negative posting about the other candidates

So here’s how I have decided to play this:

A) I have unequivocally ruled out any kind of puff-piece for the candidate being pushed by my “Ole Buddy.” Because frankly, who wants to play the part of puffer for any kind of pro-Democrat political porn, which is what my friend was asking me to be by building up his guy on an independent conservative Republican blog like this one? Besides, even though Abe George is a nice enough guy to-socialize-with over a cocktail or two (I first met him about three years ago and have had a few beers and/or other spirits with him a few times since), and we do share a position or two, especially on the need to use grand jury investigations to unravel all the institutional cover-ups of pedophiles, the man has altogether too many old-fashioned liberal notions and newly-popular proposals about law enforcement and criminal prosecution to be my guy for Brooklyn DA any time soon (in that regard, those popular proposals would be clearly far more libertarian than conservative).

As to the other proposition:

B) Anything like a “hit piece” on any candidate or candidates has to have a bona fide foundation in fact and a nexus to positions or principles that I hold in particular, or to which I believe independent libertarian or conservative Republicans should adhere generally. So I put it to my “Ole Buddy” — if you can come up with something that properly should be posted on something called “The Brooklyn Independent GOP Fountainhead” let me see it and I’ll think about it. So my friend put on his Baker Street Irregulars deer-stalker cap and hunted down some stuff about the other two candidates running against his guy.

My friend has come up with a theory, which he believes is proved by previously published material, that the incumbent DA and another candidate being pushed by a large segment of the Brooklyn Democratic establishment, Kenneth Thompson, are really an “Entry” if one wants to use a racetrack term for the concept. Even though most people might see them as two different horses in the race and specific bettors might want to bet on each of them separately, all bets on either of those horses are treated as a single bet with the money bet on each horse joined in the betting pool; and a payout made if either of the horses in the “Entry” wins. In the case of the Brooklyn Democratic DA candidates now running against my friend’s candidate, Abe George, the common betting pool on them is part of the fund raising picture shown in the public filings to date. Entries are common in horse racing if there is a commonality of owners, trainers or stables for more than one horse running in a single race. It’s less common in politics for people running for a single office, but think of the political entry as involving common consultants, fund raisers or donors.

In the last DA election cycle, according to my friend, the “Entry” was incumbent DA Hynes and well known Brooklyn attorney Paul Wooten. After Mr. Wooten’s early campaign and petitioning had cleared all other contenders to Mr. Hynes off the board, Wooten withdrew his name from the primary ballot for that year. Not long after, Wooten was nominated for the NYS Supreme Court where he is now a sitting Justice.

According to my friend's theory, this year the links and overlaps are between Democratic DA candidates Hynes and Kenneth Thompson, and they involve Scott Levenson of a consulting firm called the Advance Group and a man named Jack A. Brown III. After hearing my “Ole Buddy” out, I think he might be onto something.

According to filings, Mr. Brown III was for a time in late 2012, Thompson’s biggest non-family donor to his campaign for Brooklyn DA . His part in Kenneth Thompson’s fund raising effort is already controversial ( See “Brooklyn District Attorney hopeful Ken Thompson returns $5K campaign donation from prison firm” by Reuven Blau, NY Daily News, 2/4/13 [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/brooklyn-da-hopeful-ken-thompson-returns-5k-campaign-donation-article-1.1255284#ixzz2KzYrh5oz]). In the run-up to the 2013 elections Kenneth Thompson is not the only politician to have accepted money from Jack A. Brown III. In December, he gave NYC Controller John Liu $100; and NYC City Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Crown Heights) $250 [remember, at the same time Brown gave prospective DA candidate Thompson $5,000, he gave the sitting Brooklyn DA, who stands a good chance of re-election zero, zip, nadda ($0) – at the same time Kenneth Thompson had a huge fund-raising month overall and the Hynes Campaign brought in nothing ].

Jack A. Brown III’s professional “spokesperson” is Scott Levenson. DA Hynes’ and Mr. Levenson share myriad links and have a very long and complex history. When you get into the specifics, it gets really twisted and convoluted. My friend tried to untangle it all for me, but as far as I’m concerned it’s still very much a Gordian knot. The industrious among you are welcome to try to untangle it all for yourselves. Here’s some places to start ( See, “Shortchanging Ex-Offenders” NY Times Editorial, 12/23/12 [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/opinion/shortchanging-ex-offenders.html?_r=0];
“A Halfway House Built on Exaggerated Claims” by Sam Dolnick 12/12/12 [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/nyregion/at-federal-halfway-house-in-brooklyn-a-dubious-operator.html?pagewanted=3&ref=nyregion]; “N.Y. Halfway House Operator Under Scrutiny,”
Philanthropy Today, 12/14/12 [http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/n-y-halfway-house-operator-under-scrutiny/59605]; “Judge Shaken Down, Brooklyn's D.A. Told” by Jack Newfield, 6/16/03, NY Sun [http://www.journalistjacknewfield.blogspot.com/]).

As a matter of course, Republican County Chairman Craig Eaton and the Brooklyn GOP could easily CONTINUE to back the venerable Democrat Brooklyn DA, and justify the move as dealing with the lesser of three evils; and they could buttress that with an argument that Hynes is relatively conservative by New York standards, has shown a little friendship for the Brooklyn GOP and Conservative Party, and he has a generally decent record as a prosecutor [with some glaring exceptions !].

However, if Chairman Eaton really wants to be a strong GOP leader, who stands on his own two feet, he needs be a Republican Rudolf, to be proud of his shiny red nose, and to not get involved in all the Democrat [and Conservative Party] reindeer games by giving away so many Wilson-Pakulas. Especially in 2013, Eaton and the rest of the Brooklyn GOP need to steer clear of the big Democrat Party mess that is shaping up in the Brooklyn DA race.

It’s up to Brooklyn’s independent Republicans to push Eaton to be sure to nominate a qualified candidate for DA on the GOP line by coming up with a candidate of their own for that spot. That candidate should be in line with GOP principles and willing to run along with the rest of the GOP city-wide slate in 2013.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Defaced masterpiece retains its full power and meaning against a pointless attack

Eugene Delacroix had an inspiration and a vision. He was more than a Friend of France, he was her passionate lover. Upon the ejection of another Bourbon Monarch following the Three Glorious Days at the end of July 1830, he conceived and set about bringing form to one of Democracy’s most inspirational pieces of art, his painting of “Liberty Leading the People” — the very same symbol embodied as the great greenish Statue lifting her torch above New York Harbor --- only as presented by Delacroix, full of vitality and action with a Red, White and Blue flag held aloft as a guide-on in her mighty right hand and with an assault weapon in her left, at the ready for her to use against any who would pose a threat to her or her followers..

A recent attempt to deface the great patriotic work of the French Master Delacroix on display at the Louvre only served to bring the image and the imagery back to mind at a time when such perceptions and conceptions are desperately needed both in France and in this country.

It is time for a real “Middle Class” in its true and un-deconstructed historical sense to say “Enough ! ” to regimes that tax too much and rule without reason or responsibility. It is time to regain the revolutionary fervor of our democratic republican forefathers; and as free people, to follow the flag of Liberty in a new revolution to restore to us the people what an imposing government has taken away from us since the old.

“MAJOR UPDATE” : The Los Angeles Police Department has told reporters that no body has been identified in the cabin in which Christopher Dorner was believed to have been hiding, following a shootout and fire. *** "No body has been located yet," Commander Andrew Smith said, telling reporters that the building was still too hot for investigators to enter. *** "That burned cabin has not even been entered by investigators yet," Smith said. "We are still on a holding pattern to search that.*** Earlier reports had indicated that a body had been identified...." (“Chris Dorner Body Not Yet Identified [MAJOR UPDATE]” 2/12/13, Huff Post CRIME [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/chris-dorner-dead_n_2649763.html#61_media-turmoil]).

In the “Live Blog” section of that same site was the following post:

“Media Turmoil *** Via HuffPost Media: ***

Multiple news outlets found themselves with apparent egg on their face after their reports that alleged California killer Christopher Dorner was dead were refuted by the Los Angeles Police Department.

As President Obama was giving his State of the Union address, CBS News tweeted that a body believed to be that of Dorner had been found in a burned-out cabin. CNN soon followed. So did ABC and NBC News. So did local Los Angeles stations. All cited either the LAPD or, in NBC's case, the LA mayor's office.”

AT 1:00 AM EST, 1/13/13, THERE ARE CONFLICTING REPORTS AS TO WHETHER CHRISTOPHER DORNER IS DEAD INSIDE A SURROUNDED BURNT CABIN IN THE BIG BEAR MOUNTAIN AREA NORTHEAST OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES....

Ex-cop and accused cop-killer Christopher Dorner isn’t everybody’s “cup of tea” and would definitely be placed at the “un-cola” end of the spectrum if he were a bottled soft drink; nonetheless, he already has some kind of a following. Is this a routine phenomenon or is it different this time ?

Desperadoes, all alone against the authorities zeroing-in on them, long have had a certain appeal in American legend and folklore, and in fiction as well as feature films. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Humphrey Bogart behind a rock on a craggy high Sierra mountainside or a crazed James Cagney shouting-out to his mother standing on top of an ignited globe about to explode. Why would Christopher Dorner be any different from those fictional characters or their real-life antecedents and successors? Among those we could number: John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch and Sundance, Jesse James and the rest of the robber-type fugitives; Andrew Cunanan, Christopher Wilder, Alton Coleman and the sex-road-trip spree-killers, although the sex-driven-killer-fugitives seem more “popular” in fiction than real life, with our local David Berkowitz in a unique sub-category getting little respect, even in jail, for his evasiveness and moment in the spot-light; even long ago executed domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh was briefly being sought as a fugitive “Arab” or other swarthy, even while he was in custody and nearing release as a blonde, pasty-skinned armed drifter picked up for driving in a car with a missing license plate. Who can forget that other manifesto-writing fugitive serial killer, Ted Kaczyinski, the “Unabomber,” whose exploits covered years -- attacking very high-value targets ? And let’s don’t get started on the cult-killers like Helter Skelter Manson; or the ones that had nifty names like the Beltway Sniper(s), or Zebra or Zodiac. They all had secret and not-so-secret cheering sections.

One could argue that Dorner is no different — yet, many, right and left, say he is completely different. If you look at the comments threads on the stories about him and the coverage of the manhunt trying to track him down, you’ll see that there are distinct groups pulling for him, rooting against him and/or pulling for or rooting against the authorities.

That phenomenon had been observed several days ago with respect to pro-Dorner messages popping up all over the social media ( See “Christopher Dorner Fans On Facebook, Twitter Call Alleged Cop Killer A 'Hero,' Citing Police Brutality” by Kathleen Miles, 2/8/13, Huffington Post [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/christopher-dorner-fans-facebook-twitter_n_2647754.html]). According to Ms. Miles, ‘Call it the ‘Dark Knight Complex.’ In the age of the Internet and social media, behind certain high-profile alleged murderers, there are loyal fans. *** Supporters of Christopher Dorner, the former LA policeman turned ‘cop killer,’ have shown up online, with tweets and fan pages on Facebook. Some call Dorner a ‘hero’ for writing a manifesto on alleged racism and corruption within the LAPD. *** Numerous supporters on Twitter are calling the alleged murderer a ‘Dark Knight.’ One Facebook page calls him ‘the hero LA deserves, but not the one it needs right now ... He's a silent guardian, watchful protector against corruption, he's our Dark Knight’.” Similar observations were made on other media-oriented blogs (See e.g., “Accused Killer Chris Dorner Called ‘Hero’ On Twitter, ‘Dark Knight’ On Facebook” 2/9/13, “The Inquisitor” (containing several quoted Tweets)
[www.inquisitr.com/516688/accused-killer-chris-dorner-called-hero-on-twitter-dark-knight-on-facebook/]) and it has even gotten onto the “radar screen” of broadcast TV news ( see “Cop Killer Christopher Dorner Gaining Supporters on Facebook” 89.3 KPCC (blog)[CBS CH 13 – Getting Answers], 2/10/13 on YouTube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YjtiniAuO4]).

The push-back from the Right was as quick and pungent as it was predictable. Sort of typical was this post on Brietbart, “A MESSAGE FOR CHRISTOPHER DORNER SUPPORTERS” ( by Sonnie Johnson, 2/10/13, [http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/02/10/A-Message-for-Christopher-Dorner-Supporters]). The formulation was along the lines of, "IF YOU"RE FOR DORNER, YOU PROBABLY WERE FOR OBAMA" and it continue by going into significant detail in that formulation.

There are already other posts and comments making provocative pronouncements, and possibly posing inflammatory queries about any of the positive outpourings on behalf of Christopher Dorner like some of those mentioned above. This series is particularly fascinating: “If Christopher Dorner were a White conservative, would liberal groupies still love him? asks Cap Black” ( See comment by Nadra AKA Cap Black, 2/10/13, Move-On-Up.org [http://moveonup.ning.com/profiles/status/show?id=2579286%3AStatus%3A66848]; more fully discussed at “Christopher Dorner Isn’t Malcolm X 2.0” by Capblack, 2/11/13 at “#CAPBLACK THEHOODCONSERVATIVE! – Defiant defenses of traditional values!” [http://capblackhood.blogspot.com/2013/02/christopher-dorner-isnt-malcolm-x-20.html]; and most recently today’s “Christopher Dorner: Racist Time Bomb” by CAPBLACK, 2/12/13, “The Western Center for Journalism” [http://www.westernjournalism.com/christopher-dorner-racist-time-bomb/]).

This debate has hardly been joined. As bad as everything he’s been accused of doing to date, one suspects that Mr. Dorner and his manifesto will be emerging as a fully fledged Left-wing cause before too long; and for those on the Right, that all will be fresh red meat.

The Brooklyn Tea Party initially heard a presentation from Republican City Council Candidate Hard Hat Andy Sullivan prior to business meeting where Joseph Hayon announced his resignation as president. Things got raucous following the election of the new President of the Brooklyn Tea party, Frank Russo from Mill Basin.

Over a dozen hearty members of the Brooklyn Tea Party had come out-of-the-snow to hear from a Bay Ridge Republican, Andrew Sullivan, who is running to get the GOP line for City Council for a November run against Democrat Vincent Gentile. Mr. Sullivan was comfortable with his crowd, with whom he had significant prior association based on his opposition to the “Ground Zaro Mosque” several years before. He also pointed out his hard work in electing the few Republicans now in office in his part of Brooklyn. He stressed that his smaller government, lower tax and lower regulation appeal would be particularly focused on small businessmen, whose profit margins hardly exist, to middle-class union members who were being ignored and misled by their union leadership and to working people who see everything around them going down. His message was very well received, but the then-president, Joseph Hayon, explained that their would be no endorsements until all candidates for the office had been given an opportunity to be heard.

After Mr. Sullivan and a Sullivan associate left the meeting, Brooklyn Tea Party President Joseph Hayon rose and said that he had an important announcement. He then gave a succinct and pithy speech explaining why the time had come for him to resign. [ Late last evening I received the following Email from Joseph Hayon; that Email tracks closely with my recollection of his remarks to the fifteen Tea Party Members then gathered at yesterday’s meeting.] What follows are the posted remarks of Mr. Hayon upon his resignation as President of the Brooklyn Tea Party:

“Dear Tea Party Members, *** During today's meeting, I resigned as your leader of the Brooklyn Tea Party. During my term as president, we helped get two candidates (Congressman Bob Turner and Senator David Storobin) elected into office -- only to have no-principled Dean Skelos terminate, passively and aggressively, the districts they represented. *** When I was approached by our first president, John Press, I was shocked that I was even offered the honor to lead this principled group. I was the only candidate asking for Tea Party support to refuse to take the Brooklyn Tea Party pledge of 2010, and just a few months later I was president by a unanimous vote of the same group. *** From day one, the group understood that I was not 100% Tea Party. Realizing in 2011 that there was no one else qualified that wanted to lead the Brooklyn Tea Party, I agreed to lead on a temporary basis -- until someone else came along. *** While I completely value the Tea Party's general position against wasted spending, to lower our taxes, and to root out government corruption, sometimes some of the Tea Party values contradict with the family values I hold dear -- religious freedom, traditional marriage, etc. When a candidate such as Eric Salgado comes along, who is completely against the Tea Party on the issue of immigration because of his family values, I will support him over Joe Lhota (Lhota is no where close as a Tea Party candidate. He raised the bridge tolls as MTA chairman). *** I served as Brooklyn Tea Party president because the group is filled with genuine and honest individuals, who were duped by the Republicans and Democrats in Albany and Washington. The Brooklyn Tea Party needs to exist because it is one of the few groups in Brooklyn to maintain integrity. *** I explained to those who attended today's meeting that my role as president was to ensure its survival. I acted as a trustee. Your new president, Frank Russo, is completely Tea Party on the issues, has great work ethics, and has the integrity I was looking for in our next leader. He was voted in unanimously to be our next leader. *** Thank you all for the support you gave me. *** Sincerely, *** Joseph Hayon”

After a brief discussion about the need to move forward, Mr. Hayon proposed that he be succeeded as President by Frank Russo, who had been the Brooklyn Tea Party’s Director of Communications for several months since mid-2012 and into 2013. The nomination was seconded and put to a vote; and Mr. Russo was acclaimed President without any opponent being proposed in opposition (there were two pro forma objections that nobody should be elected unanimously in a organization like the Tea Party, which though greeted with levity is a very good point, indeed ).

Frank Russo outlined an ambitious agenda to formalize Brooklyn Tea Party affairs starting with the hoped for adoption of a Constitution and By-Laws that might also contain a simple statement of principles and goals; he appointed a committee to draft such (a) document(s) to put before the membership for/at the next meeting. He then discussed finalizing setting a Tea Party Caucus for the Brooklyn Republican Party, whose goal would be electing Tea Party members as County- and State- Committee Members in the 2013 GOP primaries. Mr. Hayon reported on the progress of the caucus under his leadership since it was announced at an earlier meeting, but Hayon said that he no longer wished to head the caucus. It was decided that Glenn Nocera, a Tea Party Member and President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, would be the Acting Chairman of the Tea Party Caucus of the Brooklyn Republican Party, because he already was an elected member of the Kings County Republican Committee. Mr. Nocera readily accepted the position.

The final item of business caused the most fireworks. As the new President, Russo wanted to propose a “rule” that henceforth there would be no posting on the Brooklyn Tea Party sites of any inappropriate material of a personal, racial or otherwise inflammatory nature. Further, that in the performance of their duties, the President of the Brooklyn Tea Party or the Tea Party's Director of Communications could immediately remove or delete such offensive material, and if necessary block posting by repeat offenders. Even though there was an impassioned debate, including several personal pleas for sensitivity to all sides in the debate, as to what constituted material that was inappropriate and inflammatory, including being silent in the face of unfair personal attacks charging racism and the like; the rule passed unanimously (including, surprisingly, the specific agreement of the person who seemed most opposed, because he thought he might be being singled out by Mr. Russo and another not present in the group during yesterday’s meeting).

At a news conference yesterday Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said, “This is the largest local reward ever offered, to our knowledge.... This is an act of domestic terrorism. This is a man who has targeted those that we entrust to protect the public. His actions cannot go unanswered.”

At the same press conference at LAPD headquarters Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Sunday afternoon, "We will not tolerate this reign of terror.... Our dedication to catching this killer is steadfast. This search is not a matter of 'if.' It's a matter of 'when.' And I want Christopher Dorner to know that." ( “$1-million reward announced for information on Dorner” by Blankstein, Therolf & Christensen, LA Times, 1/10/13 [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dorner-reward-20130211,0,5945373.story]).

On Feb. 7th, the San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon had said the former Los Angeles police officer wanted for three murders "could be anywhere at this point." That was almost four days ago.

So far the search for the former LA police officer has covered three states, with raids and lock-downs in three different major cities. Trigger- happy cops had already shot up two SUVs fitting the description of Dorner’s all terrain pick-up prior to finding his burned out vehicle near the Big Bear Lake northeast of Los Angeles. It was reported that investigators found two AR-15 assault rifles in the burned-out truck, which Dorner apparently abandoned because of a broken axle.

Late Sunday, a full tactical response was effected at a Lowe’s home improvement center, including the parking lot, in the Northridge neighborhood in North Los Angeles ( See “Christopher Dorner Manhunt: Possible Sighting of Fugitive Ex-Cop Leads to Store Evacuation” by Alyssa Newcomb, 2/10/13, abc NEWS [http://abcnews.go.com/US/christopher-dorner-manhunt-sighting-leads-store-evacuation/story?id=18457978]).

Friday, February 8, 2013

GOP Council Members from other counties to select Brooklyn’s Election Commissioner

Has anybody told Craig, yet ? ? ? He’s gonna be pissed....

According to Celeste Katz in her Daily News/Daily Politics blog/column: “GOP Councilmen seize opportunity to appoint election commissioners in Queens, Brooklyn, overruling county party leadership — With the shrewd power play, the three Republican representatives on the City Council will now have some influence on who the city's Board of Elections can hire and fire.” (See: Celeste Katz' post/article of the same name, 2/7/13, Daily News/Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gop-councilmen-election-power-play-party-leadership-article-1.1258511#ixzz2KK63UWnL]).

Thursday, February 7, 2013

The headline reads: “Former Mayor David Dinkins endorses Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes, who is facing a black challengers for reelection” (See Reuven Blau’s post/article of the same title in the Daily News, PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 6, 2013; UPDATED: FEBRUARY 7, 2013, [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn-da-hynes-nod-dinkins-article-1.1257380]). — But, that’s not the big GOP news in Mr. Blau’s article ! ! !

No, the big GOP news is what is implicit in the line: “Political consultant E. O’Brien Murray said the Dinkins endorsement “shows the district attorney . . . has the ability to gather support throughout the black community.” [Hint: it has nothing to do with Dinkins' endorsement or Hynes’ ability to gather support throughout the black community] — The big GOP news is that “Obi Wan” appears to have signed onto the Hynes campaign

E. O’Brien-Murray was a key man in the GOP special election victories for Bob Turner for Congress and David Storobin for NY State Senate; before he jumped the fence as part of the Dean Skelos cadre who worked for Simcha Felder, winning a Conservative Party opportunity to ballot primary getting Felder the Conservative Party line and then winning the general election for Felder, both against his former client GOP State Senator David Storobin.

The stars appear aligned for Hynes to get both the Republican and Conservative Party lines if he wants them in 2013. This isn’t a sign of strength, though. The presences of O’Brien-Murray as part of the Hynes team will cost Hynes lots of votes in a Democrat Primary. Why risk that? --- This is about Hynes winning on the GOP and Conservative lines if he needs to do it that way in November; it's the same game plan as 2005, the last time he faced a tough challenge in the Democratic Primary.

Btw, if Hynes has such an “...ability to gather support throughout the black community...” why did they have to trot out such an old war horse as David Dinkins, whose political bones were made in Manhattan, not Brooklyn ? The only prominent elected official from the “black community” reported to have appeared at Hynes’ announcement ceremony at Brooklyn Borough Hall was City Councilwoman Letitia James ( See “Prosecutor’s Appeal for a 7th Term: ‘We’re Not Done’.” by Mosi Secret, 1/7/13, NY Times [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/nyregion/charles-j-hynes-brooklyn-district-attorney-announces-re-election-bid.html]); the only other minority member mentioned was Marty Dilan, all the rest were part of the non-minority Brooklyn Democratic Party establishment.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

This week’s Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio show was another technical disaster — but for the first time in a very long time I heard something worth hearing

Mark Scudder spoke on the 2/6/13 Brooklyn GOP [Blog] Radio Program, and one of his early lines “... not a lot of Republicans and conservatives up here...” very much surprised Russell Gallo. Mr. G seems to think “Upstate New York” is just one place like Watertown. Gallo didn’t get that Mr. Scudder is from around Binghampton, Owego and Ithica. That area contains Tompkins County and a few large academic institutions that are quite liberal.

Mr. Scudder had a couple of great lines — “You can’t shame the shameless...”; “Blog-Talk has been really screwy...”; “We don’t get that ... the majority is a non-political center-left culture in this country”; “... we’re stuck in 2004, if you don’t just blog people don’t know what to do with you or what you do...”; and “The left took over our culture in the last fifty years... every once in a while they take a chip off of what they believe are right-wing moralities...”

About Me

I formerly have commented on various political blogs concerning Republican politics. Although the focus of my political commentary has been on the Brooklyn GOP and other aspects of politics in Brooklyn, I have also posted commentary about national matters.
If you wish to contact Galewyn Massey directly, please, Email to galewynmasban@gmail.com